As shown in FIG. 1, a widely-known dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device 1 comprises a working electrode 2, which includes a substrate 21, a transparent conductive film 22, a TiO2 semiconductor film 24 for absorbing a dye (not shown), an electrolyte solution 3 and a counter electrode 4, which includes a substrate 41, a transparent conductive film 42 and a palladium catalyst 43. The electrolyte solution popularly used presently is a liquid electrolyte because the manufacturing cost is low. After the dye-sensitized solar cell device 1 is assembled and thermally pressed, the dye-sensitized solar cell is drilled to form a hole (not shown in FIG. 1) thereon. The liquid electrolyte solution 3 is injected into the dye-sensitized solar cell via the hole, and the hole is sealed thereafter. However, using the injection method will cause the problems of non-uniform injection, difficult sealing, and easy leakage of the solvent in the electrolyte solution. Moreover, because the solvent contained in the electrolyte solution 3 has high saturated evaporation pressure, the electrolyte solution 3 is flammable, evaporable, unstable and has poor dye adsorption, resulting from the evaporation of the solvent.
Another electrolyte solution widely used is called a gelatinous electrolyte. However, when the gelatinous electrolyte is applied to form a thin film to assemble a dye-sensitized solar cell device, the solvent contained in the gelatinous electrolyte can easily evaporate during the manufacturing processes. Therefore, the composition of the gelatinous electrolyte will change and cause the dye-sensitized solar cell to be unstable.
Therefore, the Applicant has invented an electrolyte for a dye-sensitized solar cell and a method of preparing the same to improve the shortcomings of the prior art mentioned above.